In our busy lives today there are many things we expect to happen. For instance, when I want to cross the street I wait for the hand to go away and the walking person to appear. I expect that the sea of cars, full of impatient looking people, will wait for me. I expect this even though they are bigger and stronger than I am and look much more ready to move forward than I do. In my mind, everything always goes as it “should.” The cars get to go when the light turns green, and I make it safely across. My life was spared because people followed rules. The more I thought about the uncertainty of it the more I really appreciated those cars waiting for me to cross.

Let me get to the point and tell the story that sparked this direction of thought. We had a lovely guest named Ann (picture is below). She is 83 years old and one of the sweetest—brings cookies to you at Christmas kind of way— human beings. She stayed here two nights with her family. Both nights she asked the front desk receptionist Lacy if she could have some milk to take with her medicine. Lacy found the milk we put out for breakfast and poured Ann a cup full. What Lacy did would seem to most guests and employers something that was expected of her. However, Ann thought of it differently. She told her granddaughter, Kaitlin (the one who told us this story), that Lacy’s actions “made her feel special.” She really appreciated what Lacy had done for her. When I heard this story I thought of the world today and how insensitive of a place it has become. When did we start expecting and stop appreciating what people do for us? Thank you, Ann, for reminding us that even the most seemly insignificant tasks should be appreciated.